Talk:Limelight

Untitled
The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest use of "limelight" as the early 19th century, not the Middle Ages, and doesn't list any meaning having to do with lime in mass graves. Unless somebody has a source for the latter meaning, I'll delete it in a week or so. &mdash;JerryFriedman 14:48, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Greenlight
Is using greenlight and limelight synomously (sp?) incorrect? That Jason 04:19, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
 * It seems that way to me. Greenlight - meaning to give the go-ahead - doesn't seem to have any application to the idea of being the center of attention (in the sense that limelight is used). Limelight wasn't so-called because it had any resemblance to the color of the citrus fruit. - Tenmiles 04:00, 4 June 2007 (UTC)

Lime or Limestone
Does limelight use calcium oxide (lime) or calcium carbonate (limestone)? The text says calcium carbonate, but the diagram shows calcium oxide being used.

I don't know about this myth, but it could have been used as lighting up the limestone. Sounds crazy, but I only speak of what I have heard from Dr. Oz's show. P.S. Is it true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.7.81.164 (talk) 02:58, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

It cannot be limestone. Limestone is calcium carbonate which would be decomposed by the heat of an oxy-hydrogen flame into quicklime, CaO, when carbon dioxide is driven off. Limestone is the raw material for the production of quicklime. — Preceding unsigned comment added by PEBill (talk • contribs) 04:19, 9 April 2011 (UTC)

The Danger of Limelight
I once went to a magic lantern show where the presenter stressed the dangerously flammable nature of limelight. If independent conformation can be found this should be mentioned in the article.--Teletran (talk) 18:51, 16 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Well, it does involve a very hot flame.... — Omegatron 00:05, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Gas source
Where did the Victorians get the hydrogen and oxygen to operate magic lanterns and follow spots from? How was it stored and transported? 193.109.254.26 (talk) 15:41, 28 February 2013 (UTC) A very good question - who made the lime blocks, the lamps, the oxygen and hydrogen, and supplied and maintained them - there must have been a whole industry and supply chain all knowledge of which has been lost, and which apparently has no documentation; this is a subject ripe for in depth research.86.187.167.83 (talk) 23:47, 6 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Who says they used hydrogen and oxygen?? Did they not just use the same natural gas that that used for regular gas lighting at the time? Either way, hydrogen and oxygen had been isolated in their pure forms long before the Victorian era... Firejuggler86 (talk) 07:45, 27 April 2021 (UTC)

Nice page
To the point - well done. I might say it was quite illuminating. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.179.42.184 (talk) 09:13, 16 May 2013 (UTC)